Air Quality

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Attic Ventilation Impacts Chicago Homes Year-Round, and Here’s How

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Since you rarely go up into the attic, you probably don’t give much thought to attic ventilation. However, ensuring your attic is properly ventilated can impact your Chicago home year-round. Here’s how.

Attic Ventilation in the Spring and Summer

Reduce air conditioner load: Unvented attics easily reach temperatures approaching 150 degrees in the summer. All that heat from the veritable oven on top of your house radiates through the ceiling and into your home, increasing air conditioner load and pushing energy bills higher. A ventilated attic is 30 to 50 degrees cooler and can save you up to 25 percent on your cooling bills.

Protect your roof: Excess heat and humidity causes shingles to buckle, which can cause leaks to develop. A leaky roof allows water to enter the attic and eventually the living space, which you want to avoid at all costs.

Prolong A/C life: With a lower cooling load, the air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard. Along with using less energy, this helps you avoid repairs and promotes longer equipment life.

Attic Ventilation in the Fall and Winter

Prevent ice dams: If heat from your home rises and becomes trapped in the attic, it can melt snow on the roof. As the melted snow approaches the eaves, it refreezes into a thick sheet of ice. This ice creates a dam, permitting water to sit on the roof instead of draining the way it should. The lingering water damages shingles and can cause water to seep into your home.

Preserve insulation: When moisture enters the attic from a roof leak or other source, it settles in the attic insulation and renders it worthless. Attic ventilation helps evaporate excess moisture and keeps insulation dry. This is good news when it comes to protecting your home’s structural integrity, since preventing damp insulation ensures you won’t experience peeling paint, mildew or water stains on your ceiling or walls.

Clearly, it’s worth giving some attention to attic ventilation. For more information about achieving the ideal amount of ventilation for year-round benefits in your Chicago area home, please contact Comfort24-7.com today.